Our Work

Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church

Belmont AME Zion Church Outreach and Network strives to be an integral part of the commnity both locally and county, individual (people and person in need) through interfaith and social groups that make a viable community.  We canvas, assess the need, and make available participation in the church conference and community through the various ministries within the church.
 
Answering the struggle and relieving those in need are handled through the resources and referrals made through one of our various church ministries.  We also partner with local and civic organizations to help ensure that the hungry will be fed, the thirsty will be given water, the homeless will be given shelter and the naked shall be clothed.  

 
Our church ministry will address the need, help or refer those seeking assistance.
 
It is our goal to develop a rapport with the community at large, interfaith, social, alliance with members of other denominations and individuals who help in setting social standards in good faith.

Shake the Nations 2012

At 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 4, 2012, forty worshippers gathered at the Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church in Worcester, MA to participate in a global dance ministry celebration called Shake The Nations. While many of the attendees resided locally, others traveled from Rhode Island, each one excited to take part in this historic event.

 

What's different about Shake The Nations?

 

Liturgical dancers from an unprecedented thirty-four countries from around the world, ranging across several time zones, gathered together to dance in unison and as “one body” for political peace, religious freedom, and strength & wisdom for the leadership of each country. Shake The Nations sought to channel a spiritual breakthrough on a global scale and was truly an extraordinary occasion.

 

Connected by a live webstream, simultaneous worship began at 9:00 AM in Worcester, MA; at 11:00 PM in Australia; at 3:00 PM in Germany; and at host sites in a multitude of countries (including: Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Romania, S. Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, etc.).

 

Earnest praise and worship was lifted up for nearly four hours through dance, song and prayer. Dancers worshipped with billows, flags, streamers, and other items representing their faith and passion for Christ. The choreography for four of the songs had been previously posted to YouTube and learned by Shake The Nations’ participants; dancers across the globe literally moved as one body during these four arrangements.

 

Worcester’s Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church was only one of three locations in the Commonwealth to host Shake The Nations. Belmont’s pastor, Rev. Clyde D. Talley, said, “This was an unprecedented event in that we had everyone from around the globe unite as one regardless of denominations to worship God through the ministry of dance. I’m hoping that this event will be supported next year and we will do this again with twice as many or more participating!”

Thanksgiving Dinner

Willie Andrews cooked a Thanksgiving meal at
Belmont AME Zion Church on Illinois Street.
He's done it for 20 years. (
T&G Staff/JIM COLLINS)


Willie Andrews of Worcester is thankful for his talents as a cook. The Georgia native and member of the Quinsigamond Lodge of Elks has been cooking the annual Thanksgiving dinner for senior citizens and a dinner on the holiday at the Belmont AME Zion Church on Illinois Street for more than 20 years.

He's used to cooking for large crowds, having honed his skills as a cook in the Army and later at MCI Framingham, UMass and Cushing State Hospital, and it is a talent he prayed for as a child.

“I remember one day I crawled up a big rock and I prayed to the Lord that he let me be a cook,” Mr. Andrews said. “Then when I retired, I prayed that He let me continue to be a cook.”

However, Mr. Andrews almost gave up cooking when he was recently diagnosed with cancer. It's not something he likes to talk about, but he decided not to let cancer stand in the way of his cooking.

“I don't know what it is that keeps me doing it,” Mr. Andrews said. “But if I'm not doing it, I'm not happy.”

His feast includes 120 pounds of turkey, 75 pounds of potatoes, 40 pounds of yams, two cases of green beans and enough stuffing to feed 200 people. In total, it is two days' worth of work to cook for an estimated 100 people.

“I enjoy watching the people come in and eat,” Mr. Andrews said. “My motto is: I won't give you nothing I won't eat.”